The present disclosure relates to heat exchangers, more specifically to more thermally efficient heat exchangers with installation flexibility.
Conventional plate fin heat exchanger cores are typically constructed out of flat sheet metal parting sheets, spacing bars, and two-dimensional thin corrugated fins brazed together. The fabrication process is well established and relatively simple. However, the manufacturing simplicity can have a negative impact on performance and installation options. Conventional heat exchanger channel geometry is two-dimensional and does not allow for streamwise geometry variation that has an impact on flow distribution, heat transfer, and pressure drop. In addition, the integrity of the structure is limited by the strength and quality of the braze joints which may be subject to stress concentration since there is no mechanism to control the size of the corner fillets. Flat geometry of the parting sheets exposed to high pressure causes bending, so thicker plates are used to reduce the stress level at expense of the weight. Traditional plate fin construction imposes multiple design constraints that can inhibit performance, increase size and weight, suffer structural reliability issues, and limit system integration opportunities. Conventional plate-fin heat exchangers are typically designed to maximize thermal conductivity, which severely limits material selection options.